


already earned the happy ending

by goddamn-shitshow (Lautremonde)



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Basketball, College, Light Bondage, M/M, bdsm undertones, ignorant but supportive and not homophobic teammates, outsider pov, soft dom kuroko tetsuya
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 12:07:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11691297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lautremonde/pseuds/goddamn-shitshow
Summary: Forravelqueenfor the2017 Summer Kagakuro Exchange.Kagami, living in America with Kuroko and attending university on a sports scholarship, fails to plan ahead for Kuroko's birthday (which does, after all, fall right in the middle of basketball season).  Luckily, Kuroko has a pretty solid idea of what he wants.(It's sex.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ravelqueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravelqueen/gifts).



The end of January was coming up, and the team had had enough time to get used to the new players － particularly Taiga Kagami. In his case, though, it might be more accurate to say ‘start to rely on’ rather than ‘get used to.’ There was some muttering about how sad it would be if he one-and-doned it and went pro after his freshman year. He wasn’t the tallest on the team － that title went to Tyler Kayode, another new recruit, who happily pushed seven feet and looked like a piece of stretched out taffy － but he was easily the most talented, and nobody could blame him if he did head straight for the NBA at the first opportunity.

Having met Kagami’s boyfriend, Kuroko, though, Tyler Kayode had some doubts about Kagami moving on immediately － Kuroko had crossed the ocean for that good dick, romantic as _fuck_. Kagami might at least stay at the school so he and Kuroko could stay in the same place for a while.

Or Kuroko might just switch schools to stay close to Kagami. That was also possible.

Tyler frowned, and stood up from his seat on the plane to peer down at Kagami in the seat in front of him. Unlike Tyler, Kagami was a regular on the court － Tyler had only gotten a few minutes on the court in the away game, but playing with Kagami was always stupid fun, especially when they crushed it like they had.

“Yo Taiga,” Tyler said. Kagami was staring out the window at the dark purple clouds and city lights, eyes half lidded. He didn’t respond. Tyler stood up more fully, back flat to the low bulkhead, and reached an arm around to poke at Kagami’s face. _“Tai,”_ he said, more insistently.

Kagami scowled and swatted at his finger. “What?” he said, eyes barely flickering.

“You gonna go for the draft this year?”

LaShawn Barker, who was seated next to Kagami － primarily to spare him from Tyler － looked blearily up at Tyler, and said, “how the hell do you still have the energy to start shit? Sit your ass back down.”

LaShawn was the nicest dude, and a fellow freshman. He’d somehow decided Tyler was his responsibility in the fall, and Tyler had had too much fun dragging him around and mortifying him to complain. He had a tremendous propensity for putting his whole face in his hands, rubbing at his eyes behind his glasses, and groaning loudly whenever Tyler said something. Tyler liked to noogie his close cropped hair as soon as LaShawn took his eyes of him. LaShawn had been making him work for it more lately though, a full semester had him used to some of Tyler’s outrageous shit.

“I just wanted to remind him of the plight of the little man!” Tyler protested, twisting to look at LaShawn over the seat, “Like us, next to him. Or our little pal Kuroko －”

Kagami sat upright abruptly, catching Tyler’s elbow. _“Shit,”_ he gasped, “Kuroko!”

“Ow ow _ow_ ,” Tyler said, trying to maneuver his arm around to allow him to rub at his smarting elbow.

“What about Kuroko?” LaShawn asked.

“It’s his birthday tomorrow.”

“You mean today?” Tyler asked.

“ _Shit._ Yes.”

“You doing something nice for him?” LaShawn asked.

“I dunno,” Kagami said, looking haunted, “I didn’t get him anything.”

“Get him your dick in a bow,” Tyler said.

“What －? _No_ ,” Kagami said, turning bright red. Easily the most entertaining _and_ obnoxious thing about Kagami, was his total inability to talk about his sex life. On the other hand, Kuroko was capable of talking about _anything_ with a perfectly straight face while Kagami died next to him, which was one of the things Tyler really appreciated about him.

“Sex is easily the best birthday gift you could come up with,” Tyler said seriously.

“Hmmm,” Scary Gary contributed from next to him. Scary Gary was a year or two ahead of them － he got a lot of court time, but he’d kind of ruined his relationship with all the other upperclassmen when they kept having to stop him from fighting other players and refs his first few years. He was easily the broadest guy on the team, with a rugged ginger beard and a man bun that made him look more like he’d come to the court from the wild tundra rather than via the thrift shop.

“I’m not sure that’s true,” Gary said slowly.

“Gary, what the hell, is sex not the best present you could ask for?” Tyler asked, squeezing awkwardly to the side of the plane so he could look down at Gary next to him, while staying above Kagami and LaShawn.

“Yeah,” Gary said, “but imagine how often two dudes get laid.”

“Christ,” LaShawn said, “ _guys_. I’m pretty sure gay couples get laid about as much as other couples do.”

“How you figure?” Tyler asked, “Look, let’s just ask. Yo, Taiga, do you get laid enough that sex isn’t a decent birthday present anymore?”

“I’m _not_ answering that,” Kagami said, “can you guys be helpful for a change, please?”

“I _am_ being helpful,” Tyler protested, just as LaShawn said, “Of course Taiga, don’t freak out, we’ll figure something.”

“I’m not freaking out,” Kagami said, “Just － I mean, Kuroko won’t _mind_ if nothing gets done for his birthday, but, you know, I just －” Kagami’s face slowly turned red as he sputtered his way around saying something incredibly sappy.

“That’s cute as hell,” Tyler said seriously, and poked Kagami’s cheek again. Kagami slapped at his hand and recoiled to the window to glare up at him.

“You’re a great cook, why don’t you cook for him?” LaShawn said.

“I usually cook when I’m home, though. I could do that _and_ something else, maybe.”

“Man, Taiga, why are you the ideal girlfriend?” Tyler asked, “I would date you just for your beautiful-ass bento.”

“I’m taken,” Kagami grumbled, “also, still not helping.”

“Here’s an idea,” Gary said, “why don’t you just ask him what he wants to do tomorrow? And then do it.”

“I － yeah okay. I could do that,” Kagami said and slumped, frowning, to stare out the window.

“Perfect,” Tyler said, “which means we can return to the original topic of discussion － the dra _a－ohp!”_ Gary roughly pulled him back into his seat.

“Simmer down,” Gary ordered.

 _“Thank you,”_ LaShawn said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kagami staggered into the apartment at 4AM, dumped his bag by the door, and felt his way to the bedroom without turning on any lights. He paused at the door and waited for his eyes to adjust so he could see Kuroko’s figure breathing in and out. He waited until the quiet of their room settled over him and he could hear each breath, then shucked his clothes and crawled under the sheets naked, too tired to find a fresh pair of boxers. He shuffled his way forward to press against Kuroko’s sleep-warm body, and exhaled all the frustration and ache of travel, sinking into the mattress in satisfaction.

Kuroko stirred. “Mm, Kagami?”

“Yeah,” Kagami said, voice rough and low.

“Saw you on TV,” Kuroko said, “Kagami － good job.”

“Thanks,” Kagami said.

Kuroko rolled over, slung an arm over Kagami’s side, and pressed his face into Kagami’s neck. Kagami wrapped his arms around him in turn.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Kuroko said.

“Me too,” Kagami said, before he drifted off to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He woke up to a soft pressure running down his bicep, across his forearm, and curling around his hand to tickle at his palm. He cracked an eye open, and saw Kuroko kneeling beside him on the mattress in nothing but his boxers.

“Hey,” Kagami said, voice rough with sleep, “happy birthday.”

“Yes,” Kuroko agreed, “thank you.” He shifted forward, running his hand back up to Kagami’s shoulder and pressed, encouraging Kagami to turn more fully onto his back. Kagami hummed lowly.

“I didn’t get you anything,” Kagami said.

“You got home,” Kuroko said, running his hands across Kagami’s chest, spreading his fingers across his pectorals, “that’s something. _You_ are something.”

“That’s －” Kagami blinked, and felt his face heat, “I want to do something for you for your birthday. You want me to cook anything? Take you somewhere?”

“I think I’d rather you stay right here, _Taiga,_ ” Kuroko said. Something about his first name from Kuroko’s tongue thrilled him, went straight to his dick. Kuroko, watching his expression closely, slipped a knee across Kagami’s legs, shifting his weight to straddle him. His knee caught at the sheet draped over Kagami’s lower half, stretching the material across his lap. With Kuroko’s weight inches from where he wanted it, the pressure felt good, teasing.

“Let me take care of you,” Kagami mumbled, eyes riveted to Kuroko’s as Kuroko leaned down over him. Kuroko moved his hands from Kagami’s chest back to his biceps, pressing them firmly into the mattress as he brought his face to within inches of Kagami’s and smiled at him. Kagami curled his arms at the elbow, to brush his fingers helplessly against Kuroko’s sides.

“No,” Kuroko said, “you take care of me all the time. For my birthday, I’d like to take care of _you_.” He rolled his hips slowly, and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Kagami’s mouth.

Kagami turned his face to meet Kuroko’s lips more fully, raised his hips to meet Kuroko’s pressure － but Kuroko pulled away and sat up across Kagami’s hips, his feet still catching the sheet and keeping it taut. Kuroko twisted to look at the sheet across Kagami’s legs, and Kagami sighed. He ran his hands up along the side of Kuroko’s ribs and back down following the crease the motion made along his hips and abs, fingers trailing all the way to the top of Kuroko’s boxers.

“It’s like gift wrap,” Kuroko said warmly, turning back to face Kagami and catching his hands before they could do more than tease at the elastic of his shorts. He pressed them to the mattress firmly, and pet them kindly in warning. He slid off Kagami and to the floor, padding away briefly to retrieve the lube from his side table. Kagami raised his head from his pillow to stare after him, flexing his hands but keeping them at the mattress.

Kuroko set the lube on Kagami’s side table, then returned his attention to the bed. He swept a hand all the way down Kagami’s torso, fingers tripping onto the sheet at his hips, then trailing lightly down the top of his leg, avoiding his groin altogether. He wrapped a hand warmly around the sheet at Kagami’s foot, pressing into the arch, and sweeping back up to press at Kagami’s calf. The point of pressure dragged the sheet down a little, a brief motion against his cock, and Kagami sighed. It was counterpoint to the soothing touch on his calf. The pressure was a relief, but it brought the ache of the muscle to the forefront of his mind.

“You played well yesterday, _Taiga,_ ” Kuroko murmured, sweeping his hands up and down, moving to his other calf to do the same, “you were so tired when you got back. Just let me take care of you.” His eyes traveled along the length of Kagami’s body until their gazes caught, and Kagami realized it was a question.

He tried to speak his assent, but it caught in his throat, and he nodded instead, meeting Kuroko’s serious gaze. Kuroko smiled purposefully in response, and looked back to his hands on Kagami’s legs.

He peeled the sheet away from Kagami’s feet, trailed a finger lightly up the inside of one arch. Kagami’s toes curled in response, but Kuroko kept the sheet to tight around his ankles for him to shy away. Kuroko didn’t linger there, though, rolling the sheet up his legs and over his hips, releasing the trapped heat and exposing Kagami to the cool air.

Kagami exhaled heavily, the temperature difference making his cock twitch. Kuroko’s sharp eyes caught everything, even as he resettled the sheet over Kagami’s abdomen and arms, briefly urging Kagami to lift his torso so he could wrap the sheet around and under him. He pulled it taut and pressed Kagami back down.

Kagami was only lightly trapped by his own weight － a small resistance when he shifted upwards, experimentally. He could easily curl himself up with the strength of his core alone, and the sheet would fall away － but he didn’t want to.

“Mm, Kuroko － _Tetsuya_ ,” Kagami said.

“Yes?” Kuroko asked, climbing back on top of Kagami.

“Nothing, just － you,” Kagami said, helplessly.

Kuroko leaned back down, resting his weight across Kagami and tucking his face into his neck, and rolled his hips － the fabric of his boxers separated him and Kagami, dragged along Kagami’s cock. He groaned, and felt Kuroko’s grin against his neck － and Kuroko’s hardening dick against his own.

Kuroko kept of a light and easy rhythm, not pressing so hard that the material of his shorts became painful, but nor was it enough pressure to be satisfying. Kagami twitched his hips up in time with Kuroko, as Kuroko began lightly dragging his teeth up Kagami’s neck, breath ghosting briefly across his ear before he nipped fondly at Kagami’s jaw.

Kagami exhaled a light laugh, and Kuroko drew back just enough to smile at him, and then kissed him. Kagami bent his neck forward to meet him, but Kuroko pressed him back into the pillow as they kissed, until Kagami could not retreat for breath. When Kuroko pulled away, Kagami breathed in roughly and made to follow － only to find himself caught by a hand in his hair. Kuroko tightened his grip lightly in warning, smiling gently at Kagami as he moved forward again to slide his lips along Kagami’s, biting softly at his lower lip, all the while while his hips rolled in that same, easy rhythm.

With one hand in Kagami’s hair, Kuroko’s other hand was free to pet at Kagami’s arm, palm catching on his shoulder, thumb pressing and circling at the crease of his arm pit, then rubbing its way over to press at his nipple. He rolled it under his thumb, the edge of his nail just barely catching, and Kagami gasped, his hips stuttering up and jostling Kuroko.

“ _Tetsuya_ ,” he said, voice breathy.

“Yes, Taiga?” Kuroko asked.

“Please,” Kagami said.

Kuroko hummed in agreement, rolled to Kagami’s side and kicked off his boxers, reaching one handed for the lube. Braced on an elbow, he poured it into the palm of his hand and set the bottle back, swinging his leg back over Kagami and shifting up to bring their cocks together in his palm. He rolled his hips purposefully now, jacking his fist in time.

Kagami groaned and Kuroko leaned in, trapping his one hand awkwardly between them, to meet Kagami’s mouth with his own, petting awkwardly at Kagami’s hair and barely supporting his weight with his other. With his one hand caught, body weight increasing the pressure, the stuttering of their hips built up friction and heat. Kagami’s hands twitched at his sides, and his arms flexing in the sheets loosened them just enough that he could brush his fingers against Kuroko’s side.

Kuroko panted into Kagami’s ear and gave up on supporting his weight at all, fully pressing into Kagami over his slick hand, his other reaching down to tangle with Kagami’s.

“Taiga,” he muttered softly into Kagami’s ear, “so － _good.”_

Kagami’s breath came faster, his hips jerking up and into Kuroko’s grasp, into the pressure they’d created between themselves.

Kuroko moaned and Kagami came.

Kuroko laughed, a little startled, and dropped Kagami’s hand to support his weight again, sitting up.

He adjusted his grip to lightly massage Kagami’s cock with two fingers as it twitched in the aftermath, palm still strong around his own. He let go, allowing Kagami’s oversensitive dick some relief, and rolled his palm over the head of his own.

Kagami watched, eyes half lidded as his breathing returned to normal, as Kuroko froze, torso tightening and hand spasming, before cum spilled into his fist.

He laughed again, cupping his hand to try to contain the mess, and said, “do you see the tissues － oh, the side table, can you － ?”

Kagami laughed shrugged expressively, the sheets flexing around him in answer. “No, but since it’s your birthday, I can do the sheets.”

Kuroko grinned, wiped his hand off on the bed, and leaned in to free Kagami.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first try and writing porn involving two people actually touching each other and it was barely edited omg. So um. There might be some changes made down the line when I hear back from my beta. 
> 
> There's also a chapter two, but its just a bit of a prologue that I wrote mostly to get a handle on Kagami's teammates -- it has a little bit of outsider POV, and.... I mean, _I_ think I'm funny. My beta described it as making them want to punch themselves in the face, but in a good way? My OCs are... obnoxious, but its in keeping with what I remember people trying to make friends freshman year were like.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami's teammates meet Kagami. And his boyfriend. 
> 
> They're supportive. And obnoxious. 
> 
> and a little ignorant, but like, with generally good intentions.

Taiga Kagami was a great recruit, and an astounding player. Not the tallest guy on the team, but with ups you wouldn’t believe and an affable nature towards team-play which the coaches appreciated. A bit of a resting bitch-face, but he had nothing on Scary Gary (the upperclassman who had a bit of a rep for flying off the handle on court), and while he didn’t exactly volunteer information about his personal life, he didn’t clam up and turn red the way LaShawn Barker (also a freshman) did when asked questions－ and Tyler Kayode had already made friends with the both of them. 

So Tyler felt like the risk/rewards breakdown of approaching fellow-freshman Taiga Kagami to try and mooch some of his adorable lunch was pretty good. It was all these, like, neatly organized boxes filled with rice and curry and shit and they smelled really good too. (Okay, Tyler knew they were bento, but he was trying not to let on about all the weeb bullshit just yet.) Point was, they looked great. How could a guy resist? 

Which was why when, in the first weeks of the new semester, Tyler spotted Kagami sitting on a bench between classes with his lunch in his lap, Tyler plopped himself down and asked, “yo, does anyone ever call you Tai? For Taiga?” 

“Uh?” Kagami said, “no, why?” 

“Well sometimes people call my Ty, for Tyler, and I was hoping we could bond over that, so I didn’t have to bust out the big guns,” Tyler explained. “Speaking of which － you got a girlfriend? Is your girlfriend making you those lunches? Can I steal some of your lunch? If you don’t want me to steal your girlfriend, you should let me steal some lunch. I’m super charming, I could make it work,” Tyler said. 

Kagami looked like he didn’t know where to begin with that. His mouth opened, closed again, and he glanced around behind Tyler like he was being punk’d. Tyler figured that an overwhelming offense was the best way to make friends, and felt that this was pretty encouraging. 

A throat cleared behind him, and Tyler turned to see a short － well, everyone who didn’t play ball was short to Tyler, who was pushing seven feet tall, so the guy was probably average － _blue-haired_ asian guy sitting behind him. 

“Not a well thought out threat,” the blue-haired guy informed him, “you’ve made some poor assumptions.” 

“Which assumptions?” Tyler asked, curiously. 

“Uh, this is my _boyfriend_ , Kuroko,” Kagami said. 

_Oh_ , thought Tyler, _okay_. He had just learned something about Kagami. And he had sat down in the literal middle of their lunch date. 

“See, I’ve gotten started stealing your boyfriend already,” Tyler joked, and faux-casually stretched and placed an arm along the back of the bench, behind Kuroko. 

“While flattered, I should say I am not the cook,” Kuroko said, taking Tyler’s hand and firmly removing it from his personal space. “You would have to seduce Kagami, and I feel it is only fair to warn you that you would be earning my enmity,” he said seriously. 

“You hear that Taiga?” Tyler asked, “and think how it’ll effect the team, if I die after I seduce you. You should really just give me some of your lunch.” 

Kagami scowled a little, but Kuroko laughed softly. “Tyler, you are one of Kagami’s teammates?” 

“Yeah man! I’m still on the bench most of the time though, not all of us freshies are geniuses like your beau here.”

“In order to support Kagami’s team, I am willing to share a portion of my lunch.” 

“Kuroko,” Kagami started, but Kuroko spoke over him. 

“Kagami has, as usual, packed a portion size more suitable to himself than for me, so I will have plenty leftover.” 

“Maybe I should seduce both of you,” Tyler said, “Kuroko seems real nice.” 

Kagami frowned again, and Tyler laughed, “ _Joking_ , joking man － not even gay. Just aware my appeal is universal.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hey fam,” Tyler said, sweeping in to place his tray across from LaShawn in the dining hall, “did you know Taiga is gay? Just met his boyfriend at lunch today.” 

“Oh my god,” LaShawn said, and immediately buried his face in his hands. Tyler was honestly starting to forget LaShawn’s face looked like, he spent so much time like that. “Ty, maybe Taiga wanted to tell people that on his own?” 

“Oh, yeah, he’s super forthcoming about his personal life, was probably gonna bring it up tomorrow,” Tyler said. 

“I can’t believe you just _told_ me that.” 

“Why? I know you’re not an asshole.” 

“We known each other _two weeks_ －” 

“LaShawn, are you telling me you’re gonna be an asshole about this?” Tyler asked curiously, unwrapping his burrito. 

“ _No_ , but sometimes people _seem_ cool and then you like, find out they’ve neglected to mention their seething hatred of some other minority.” LaShawn muttered, dropping his hands to try and eat some of his dinner before he lost his appetite to mortification. 

“Like that chick you were chatting up in Lit and latinos?” 

“Yeah like － wait _what?_ Did you hear Stacy say something about－” 

“Nah, just fucking with you, never talked to her,” Tyler said cheerfully. 

“The fuck you twats talking about?” rumbled an approaching behemoth. Scary Gary dropped his tray next to LaShawn. 

“Nothing,” LaShawn said, at the same time Tyler said, “LaShawn’s attraction to bigots.” 

“ _Ty,_ ” LaShawn whined, face back in hands. 

“Could be, you don’t know. Only been talking to her － what, we had more practices than classes already, right?” 

“You’re not supposed to bring up politics on the first date, and we haven’t even had a first date yet,” LaShawn said, “she might _not even date me_ －” 

“Just stalk her facebook,” Scary Gary rumbled around his caesar salad. He had some dressing caught in his beard. Tyler couldn’t decide if it made him more or less scary. “Nobody can keep their shitty mouth shut on facebook.” 

“Scary Gary’s got a point,” Tyler said, “and see, I stalked your facebook plenty. Which is why I know I can say shit to you.” 

“Tyler, you have the biggest mouth known to man,” LaShawn said. 

“What kind of shit you saying?” Scary Gary asked, frowning deepening. 

“ _Tyler_ ,” LaShawn said warningly. 

“Relax, I am the model of good judgement,” Tyler said. Then, he said, “Gary, what are your thoughts on gay people?” 

LaShawn’s shoved his tray out of the way to lower his face to the table. 

“Don’t give a fuck,” Scary Gary grunted. 

“You see? He don’t give a fuck,” Tyler said, “and he keeps his mouth shut.” 

“Kinda jealous,” Gary commented thoughtfully, “you imagine how much you’d get laid if you were into dudes?” 

“If only you could stomach dick, huh Gar’?” Tyler laughed. 

“Why? LaShawn gay?” Gary asked. 

“ _No,_ ” LaShawn said to the table. 

“Nah, he got gay uncles though, they’re all over facebook,” Tyler volunteered. 

“Oh,” Gary said. Then he said, _“boring.”_

“ _Taiga’s_ gay though, _and_ a baller cook.” 

“ _Tyler_ ,” LaShawn shouted, bolting back upright. 

“What? I’m done, I’m just gonna tell you guys. Because we’re pals, right?” 

Gary wrinkled his nose, the twist of his mouth vanishing into his beard. 

“That’s his friendship face,” Tyler told LaShawn confidently, “We’re pals.” 

“Is that what that face means?” Kagami asked, dropping his tray across from Scary Gary, “That’s a relief.” 

“Hey Tai,” Tyler said, “sup?” 

_“Tai?”_ Kagami asked. 

“It’s gonna be a thing,” Tyler said, “Tai and Ty. We’re gonna be best friends.” 

“Okay, whatever,” Kagami said, tucking into his food. He had three plates overlapping each other on his tray. 

“You not eating dinner with your boy?” Tyler asked, “Never seen you in the dining hall before.”

“Yeah, Kuroko and I live off campus, got an apartment together,” Kagami said, “so usually I eat at home.” 

“See, he doesn’t care we know,” Tyler said. 

“Know what?” Kagami asked, mouth already full. 

“‘Bout your boyfriend.” 

“Kuroko is the best,” Kagami said with the certainty of fact, “I’ll tell everyone.” 

“See? I didn’t do anything wrong,” Tyler said triumphantly, pointing with his burrito at LaShawn. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that Tyler and the others knew about Kuroko, the new trick became _getting Kagami to shut up about Kuroko_. Not that Kagami really talked _too_ much, but as a percentage of what he had to say, Tyler was pretty confident the numbers added up to _obnoxious_. Tyler was a business major, so he knew what he was talking about with numbers. 

It might be less obnoxious, but there was a bit of a culture gap between them － so when Kagami tried to explain something hilarious that Kuroko had said, the hilarity didn’t quite make it to Tyler. Or, when Kagami explained his and Kuroko’s high school journey to the championship (which sounded like some real Street-Fighter type revenge shit to hear Kagami tell it) and Tyler executed a perfect Scott Pilgrim joke re: fighting Kuroko’s evil exes, Kagami just _looked at him funny_. 

He’d then had to introduce Kagami to Scott Pilgrim, and it had been weeks and he hadn’t gotten his comics back. He was starting to think when Kagami said, “I’m not going to read these,” he’d _meant_ it. _What kind of asshole_. They’d probably have to watch the _movie_ , ugh. 

If not the humor disconnect, then Tyler was inundated with tales of Kuroko’s genius. When he mentioned to Kagami his and LaShawn’s struggles in their lit class, Kagami told them, “Kuroko is gonna TA next semester. He could maybe help.” Kagami didn’t get that their bitching about class _didn’t mean they were actually ready to do anything about it_. Sometimes a guy just wants to bitch about things! Fuck, man. 

Perhaps most insulting was when they were discussing birthdays. Tyler’s was in November, and he was already excited about the possibilities for team shenanigans. Kagami’s was in early August. “Aw, dude,” Tyler had said sympathetically, “that’s such a shit time of year － never around your school pals to get up to shananigans.” 

“Eh,” Kagami said, “I don’t mind, last year Kuroko and I －” then he had abruptly cut himself off, turned an alarming shade of red, and said, “nevermind.” 

_It was clearly a sex thing_. A sex thing that Kagami _wouldn’t answer any questions about_. Tyler was _really_ feeling his single-ness, and his life had recently become the student athlete meme (apparently college is a little harder than high school, shit) so his hunt for a girlfriend hadn’t been great so far, and he was, okay, _a little goddamn jealous_. 

But the last straw. _Oh_ the _last_ straw:

“Kuroko balls harder than you,” Kagami informed Tyler in the locker room, after Tyler had a _spectacularly_ off day at practice. 

Tyler stopped dead with his shirt in his hands and turned to face Kagami. _“Kuroko,”_ he said flatly. Kagami nodded his head. Tyler gestured with his hand flat to about the bottom of his rib cage, and cocked his head in question. 

“He’s not _that_ short,” Kagami said, “He’s at your shoulder. Probably. Almost.” 

Tyler raised his hand to the appropriate height and put the full force of his frustration into his expression of disbelief. 

“Yeah, that tall,” Kagami said, “and he could kick your ass.” 

“No, you know what? I don’t believe it. You, me, your boyfriend,” Tyler said.

“Going to propose another threesome?” Kagami asked. 

“ _No_ ,” Tyler said, “we’re gonna ball.” 

“Okay, Kuroko would love that. Let’s bring LaShawn too, play two on two,” Kagami said. 

“Wait, what was I volunteered for?” LaShawn asked, turning around, voice muffled by the shirt that hadn’t yet made it all the way over his head. He poked his face through the neck hole and frowned at them worriedly. He looked like a nun with the collar still caught on his head. 

“Two on two with Kagami and his boy,” Tyler said. 

“Really?” LaShawn said, “that seems mean.” 

“We’ll show you mean,” Kagami said threateningly. Then he swaggered his way out of the locker room. 

“The _fuck_ ,” Tyler said. “ _Let’s crush them_.” 

“Ty,” LaShawn said, finally looking less like an idiot with his shirt fully on, “you really gonna go full speed with this?” 

“Why not?” 

“Because it’s just a friendly game?” 

“Friendly? _Friendly?_ I’m not sure I’ll feel _friendly_ until he returns my goddamn comics － _and reads ‘em first_ ,” Tyler seethed. You reach out with intentions of friendship, and _this_ is what you get? Fucking _betrayal_. 

“Or, you could, you know, look at this as a chance to do something with Kagami and Kuroko that they actually enjoy rather than trying to shove your nerd shit at them.” 

“It’s _quality_ nerd shit! And it’s basically their life story, I’m trying to do them a _favor_ ,” Tyler said. But he was actually pretty excited. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall was a great time to be outside, so Kagami and Kuroko met Tyler and LaShawn at an outdoor court not far from campus. “I can’t believe campus doesn’t have an outdoor court,” Tyler grumbled, “we pay how much for this school?”

“Ty, you’re on a sports scholarship, you’re bought and paid for,” LaShawn said. 

“They got a bargain,” Tyler said, setting his bag on a bench inside the chain link of the court and pulling out a ball. He spotted Kagami and waved. “Hey Tai, where’s Kuroko?” 

“Here,” Kuroko said, startling Tyler into dropping the ball as he appeared from nowhere. “The estimate provided to prospective students is seventy thousand dollars annually. It’s good to value yourself. Realism is also a valuable trait.” 

“Jeeez!” Tyler said, retrieving the ball. “Okay yeah, I stand by what I said. I’m worth it.” 

“You gonna compare scholarships or are you gonna play?” Kagami asked, slinging two bags to the ground. 

“Let’s play, gotta see your boy hand me my ass huh?” Tyler laughed. He immediately began dribbling, made to fake his way past Kagami to the center of the court. 

Kagami promptly stole the ball, passed it to Kuroko － 

And Kuroko proceeded to clown on them for the next forty-five minutes. 

“Okay, okay － for real, what the hell,” Tyler said, driving down the court. Kagami stepped up, blocking his progress, and Tyler looked anxiously for Kuroko. Who was gone. Again. 

He passed to LaShawn. 

The ball vanished into Kuroko’s hands before ever getting to LaShawn. LaShawn started laughing, and it was kind of too infectious for Tyler to be frustrated about. 

“Yo Taiga, what the hell,” Tyler said, “this some black magic bullshit.” 

Kuroko shot the ball, and it bounded off the rim, LaShawn scooped it up and dribbled to the center of the court. “This is ridiculous,” LaShawn said breathless with laughter.

Kuroko smiled at them. “You’ll get used to it soon,” he said. 

True to his word, it slowly became easier to track Kuroko on the court － though his bizarre shots on the net from in front of them never became easier to block. Kuroko and Kagami slowly started losing, but with good grace. Kuroko smiled through the whole game. 

“This was very fun,” Kuroko said, “thank you for playing with me.” 

“Shit, no problem,” Tyler said, “that was funny as hell, honestly.” 

“Yeah man,” LaShawn agreed, smiling widely. 

“Next time Kuroko’s on my team,” Tyler said. 

Kagami frowned. 


End file.
